Monthly Archives: February 2020

International Trade Select Committee appoints N8 AgriFood Chair as new Parliamentary Academic Fellow

International Trade Select Committee appoints N8 AgriFood Chair as new Parliamentary Academic Fellow

The House of Commons International Trade Committee has appointed N8 AgriFood’s Chair at the University of York, Professor Tony Heron, as its new Parliamentary Academic Fellow.

For the next two years, Professor Heron will spend two days per week working in Parliament with the International Trade Select Committee, which is tasked by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration and policy of the Department for International Trade (DIT) and its associated public bodies.

N8 AgriFood launches Sustainable Food Communities Cluster

N8 AgriFood launches Sustainable Food Communities Cluster

Researchers and practitioners working to improve access to sustainable and nutritious food in communities across the North of England are being brought together to form a new knowledge-sharing hub as part of N8 AgriFood’s Sustainable Food Communities Cluster.

N8 AgriFood launched its Cluster initiative earlier this year in a bid to pull together expertise from across its eight member universities in specific areas of food to collectively form a platform with organisations (inc.

Urban Agriculture experts from across the North come together for N8 AgriFood’s first Cluster Innovation Visit

Urban Agriculture experts from across the North come together for N8 AgriFood's first Cluster Innovation Visit

N8 AgriFood’s Urban Agriculture Cluster hosted industry representatives and researchers from across the North of England for its first Innovation Visit.

The Cluster initiative was set up earlier this year to pull together expertise from across N8 AgriFood in specific areas to drive innovation and collaboration with industry.

The Urban Agriculture Cluster was the first to be launched, and this month it held its inaugural Innovation Visit to Stockbridge Technology Centre (STC).

N8 AgriFood Professor leads project helping Syrian refugees grow food in old mattresses

N8 AgriFood Professor leads project helping Syrian refugees grow food in old mattresses

Discarded mattresses that currently end up in landfill could instead be used to grow food for refugees in desert environments around the world, according to a team of scientists, jointly led by N8 AgriFood’s Professor Duncan Cameron.

The team of experts in hydroponics (growing plants without soil) and soil health, from the University of Sheffield, have collaborated with a group of Syrian refugees – many of whom are experienced farmers – to grow tomatoes,

Introducing N8 AgriFood’s Policy Fellow at POST

Introducing N8 AgriFood’s Policy Fellow at POST

Last year N8 AgriFood opened the doors to its first ever Policy Fellowship Scheme, through which one doctoral student was to be given the chance to be sent to Westminster to produce a briefing on Resilient Food System Supply Chains.

N8 AgriFood teamed up with the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST), which runs a Policy Fellowship process, offering a three-month placement to doctoral students with the chance to gain valuable policy experience.